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Managing Officer Program Capstone Project

The capstone project allows you to apply concepts learned in the program toward the solution of a problem in your home district.

Identify a problem

You and the chief of your department (or equivalent in nonfire organizations) must meet to identify a problem and its scope and limitations. The scope of the project should be appropriate to your responsibilities and duties in the organization, and it should be appropriate to the Managing Officer Program. Possible subjects include:

  • Lessons learned from one of the core courses required in the Managing Officer Program.
  • Experiences of the Managing Officer as identified in the International Association of Fire Chiefs Officer Development Handbook, Second Edition.
  • An issue or problem identified by your agency or jurisdiction.
  • Lessons learned from a recent administrative issue.
  • Identification and analysis of an emerging issue of importance to the department.

Submit your proposal idea

Before initiating the project, you must email the Managing Officer Program Capstone Project Proposal to the Managing Officer Program administrator. This form indicates the title of the project, projected outcomes, and how it will be evaluated or measured. This form must be approved by the program administrator for your project to go forward.

When your project is finished

When the project is completed, your chief must sign the Certification Statement form and complete the Capstone Evaluation form. Keep this documentation until you have completed all components of the Managing Officer Program. After completion, put this documentation and a copy of your final capstone project with your Managing Officer course completion and graduation paperwork.

How to submit your capstone project

Email the following items in 1 PDF file to the Managing Officer Program administrator:

  • Capstone Certification Statement.
  • Course Completion Checklist.
  • All certificates of completion for each course on the checklist.
  • Capstone Project Proposal (signed by NFA).
  • Capstone Project Evaluation Form (signed by department).
  • Capstone Paper.
  • Your name and mailing address.

The capstone paper is approved and signed by your department's representative but the NFA reserves the right to conduct an independent evaluation of your capstone project.

NFA will mail the Managing Officer Program certificate to your address for you to provide to your department.